Case conveyor infeed



Feb. 27, 1968 w. E. STANDLEY ETAL 3,370,694

CASE CONVEYOR INFEED Filed Oct. 6, 1966 2m gm 5 mam w 0% 1 2 a? I i A HQ N b United States Patent Ofilice 3,376,694 Patented Feb. 27, 1968 3,370,694 CASE CONVEYOR INFEED Wendell E. Standley, Lake Forest, and Richard B. Wittmann, Chicago, IiL, assignors to Johns-Nigreili-Sohns, Inc., Skokie, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed Oct. 6, 1966, Ser. No. 584,846 2 Claims. (Cl. 198-34) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The mechanism herein disclosed is employed in a loading device for open-top cases into which the load is deposited en masse from above. The separate cases are first advanced onto a transfer support and then propelled slidingly along the support by laterally and inwardly extending push rods bearing against the trailing wall of the case. The push rods propel the case to a loading station on a loading conveyor which is narrower than the case and, when the case reaches the desired position, the push rods slip down past the end of the case. The push rods are long enough to engage the case trailing wall but short enough not to strike the edges of the loading conveyor.

The present invention relates to case conveying mechanism and is in the nature of an improvement in the case feeding mechanism disclosed in copending application, Serial No. 478,316. The improvement is particularly desirable for use with case loaders of the general type disclosed in US. Patent No. 3,141,274 when such loaders are employed to fill open-top, hinged-closure cases.

While the invention is intended principally for use in conveying open-top, rectangular cases and positioning such cases accurately at a loading station, the invention is also considered to be useful in the broad field of feeding and positioning other specific types of generally rectangular, upstanding article, or articles, regardless of their exact shape, which have an upright trailing surface comparable to a trailing case wall.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a relatively simple and effective mechanism serving to advance cases, or other generally similar articles, in spaced relation along a supporting surface. and to achieve the accurate delivery to a loading station or other treating or working station of a succession of such individual cases or articles.

Other and more specific objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic side elevational view of the mechanism of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 looking in the direction of the arrows, showing the first two pairs of nip rolls of the flap folding unit and the folding elements for the leading case flap;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 33 of FIGURE 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, showing a case being propelled along the case transfer support by the push rod member; and

FIGURE 4 is a sectional plan view on an enlarged scale, taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 1, showing the relationship between the ends of the push rods and the width of the loading conveyor belt means.

The mechanism of the invention, as herein disclosed, is advantageously employed as an adjunct to a conveying and feeding machine for cases, such as disclosed in application Serial No. 478,316, wherein four-wall open-top cases formed of resilient paperboard or the like, and having hinged, top closure flaps, are advanced successively in separated relation by the use of oppositely disposed pairs of nip rolls acting upon the outwardly extending closure flaps, move the case forwardly at relatively high speed delivered in abutted relation to the case feeding means. These cases will have their side wall closure flaps previously folded outwardly by suitable folders, such as sta tionary plow rods. The leading and trailing end wall flaps on the cases remain temporarily in upwardly extended position until the nip rolls, acting upon the extended side flaps, move the case forwardly at a relatively high speed and other mechanism engages the case leading flap to fold it forwardly and downwardly so it may be received under hold-down rails. The upstanding trailing flap is then engaged and folded rearwardly by such hold-down rails.

Upon being advanced from the end flap folding means, the case is delivered to a support member over which it may be moved toward the loading station. A case propelling mechanism, herein shown as comprising one or more push rods, is arranged so that the push rods will move in a path spaced above the support member and will engage the trailing wall of the case to propel it. The case is thus propelled onto a second support member at the case load ing station. The propulsion of the case is then discontinued when the case is brought into accurate position for loading. When the case is brought into loading position it may be loaded by bringing articles over the case on a cantilever guide and dropping the articles from such guide into the case.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the cases C, C are preferably advanced in end-to-end, abutted relation on a storage and feed conveyor indicated as a whole at 1. From this conveyor the leading case is advanced ahead of its succeeding case by nip rolls included in a case advancing and flap folding unit, indicated as a whole at 2. The case is delivered by the unit 2 onto a transfer support unit, indicated as a Whole at 3, including one or more traveling push rods movable over a support member to propel the case onto a loading conveyor unit, indicated as a whole at 4, which includes the case loading station.

The storage and feed conveyor 1 may comprise a suitable belt 5 which is preferably constantly driven to keep the cases C, C in a compact line ready to be advanced individually by the case advancing and flap folding unit 2. The usual practice is to place the cases on the belt 5 with all four flaps in raised position. As the cases advance the side flaps 6, 6 are folded down by suitable plow means and held in outwardly extended position by holding bars not herein shown.

The leading and trailing end wall flaps, designated 7 and 8, remain upwardly extended until the cases reach the flap folding unit 2. As fully described in application Serial No. 478,316, two sets of upper and lower nip rolls, indicated at 9, 1t) and 9, 1'9 are employed to engage the two outwardly extended side hinged closure flaps 6, 6. These first two sets of nip rolls are controlled by clutch and brake devices, together with safety switches, so as to stop the nip rolls in the event of any malfunction, such as lack of articles to be loaded into cases or failure of the mechanism to carry away loaded cases. The control arrangement is preferably such that the first two sets of nip rolls will come to a stop just before the side flaps of the leading case on conveyor belt 5 begins to pass between the nip rolls.

Two additional sets of nip rolls are employed to engage the extended side flaps. Two rolls, comprising one set, are indicated at 11 and 12. The additional, or second, nip roll sets are preferably operated continuously and the side flaps which are engaged by the first nip roll sets are later engaged by the second sets before the trailing ends of the flaps emerge from between the first sets.

Disposed above the nip rolls is a frame, not shown,

which supports shafts 13 and 14 with pairs of sprockets 15, 16 thereon over which run sprocket chains .17, 17, carrying inwardly extending rods 18, 18 having radially extending, flap engaging elements 19, 19 on only a limited length of the sprocket chains, as indicated in FIGURE 1. The sprocket chains 17, 17 are controlled in synchronism with the first nip rolls and when it is necessary to stop such first nip rolls such rolls preferably are stopped just before a case begins to be propelled past the rolls. The sprocket chains 17, 17 are stopped so that the leading flap engaging elements 19 are spaced at a distance back from the leading end wall flap of the case held by the stationary nip rolls.

The speed of movement of the sprocket chains 17 is in excess of the speed at which the case is advanced. Thus, when the nip rolls and sprocket chains are activated, the upstanding leading flap passes in front of the oncoming elements 19, but such elements overtake the flap and cause it to be folded. The successive elements 19 engage and hold the flap down in what may be referred to as a brushing action. Before the last of the elements 19 moves beyond the free edge of the downfolded flap the case will have advanced a sufiicient distance so that the free edge of the flap will be engaged beneath the upcurved ends 22 of hold-down bars or rails 23, 23.

In FIGURE 1 the mechanism is shown as it appears in operation. A case is shown being advanced by the first set of nip rolls and the leading flap brushing elements 19 are shown as advanced to the place where they are ready to engage the leading case flap. A further advanced position of the case is indicated by broken lines in FIGURE 1, the leading flap being shown as folded forwardly and ready to move beneath the curved ends 22 of the holddown bars 23.

The second sets of nip rolls serve to'deliver the case to the transfer support unit 3. This unit is carried on base frame members of usual construction, not shown. A support member 24, which may be a smooth metal plate, is supported on transverse frame elements 25, 25 so as to receive cases from the discharge end of belt 5. As herein shown, the support 24 is preferably upwardly inclined toward its discharge end. In order to advance cases over the support 24 there are provided push rod elements 26, 26 preferably supported on sprocket chains 27, 27 passing over tail and head sprockets 28, 28 and 29, 29. Tail sprockets 28 are fixed on a suitably journalled shaft 30. A roll 31 is fixed on shaft 39 and serves to drive the belt passing over such roll.

The head sprockets 29 are fixed on a suitably journalled shaft 34 located somewhat beyond the discharge end of the transfer support member 24.

. proper position while moving along the support 24 and onto the loading conveyor.

The loading conveyor unit 4 essentially comprises a support for the case which is to hold the case in the desired position to receive the load. A case-stop means for temporarily stopping the cases is also preferably employed which tends to bring the case to a full stop at the loading station. For a given length of case the stop means is located at a suflicient distance beyond the head sprockets 29, 29 so that the propelling means, moving the case over support 24, will pass out of contact with the case when the case has reached the desired loading position. As herein illustrated the loading conveyor unit is in the form of a continuously operating belt means, which may comprise two spaced, narrow belts 37, 37. See FIGURE 4.

The loading conveyor unit is supported in a well known manner on suitable frame members, not shown, which may be joined to the frame employed for the transfer of unit 3. The belts 37, as herein shown, pass around a roll 38 fixed on shaft 34 and extend forwardly at an upward angle in approximate alignment with the angle of the supporting plate 24. The belts may then pass over an intermediate roll 39 and then pass around a head roll 40 fixed on a suitably journalled shaft 41 which may be driven as by means of motor 42. A set of idler rolls 43 may be arranged at the discharge end of the belts 37 to direct loaded cases to any desired location.

As best shown in FIGURE 4, the effective width of the belt means 37 is less than the case Width so that the case preferably extends outwardly on each side of the belt means. The inward extent of the push rods 26 is sufiicient to enable the rods to engage the edge portions of the trailing case wall to propel the case, but the push rods do not extend inward far enough to strike against the edges of the belts as such push rods pass out of contact with the trailing case wall. Since the supporting plate 24 is disposed entirely inside the path of the push rods (see FIGURE 1) the push rods will at all times move clear of the plate.

As herein shown, the temporary stop means may comprise hinged, spring-loaded fingers 44, 44 the free ends of which are arranged in the paths of the outer corner portions of the empty case to bring it to a stop to receive the load. The tension of the springs 45, 45 on the stop fingers is sufiicient to keep the empty case from moving past the stops even though the belts 37 are in continuous motion beneath the case.

While the empty case is at'the loading station the load, herein represented as a group .of packages 46, 46, is brought to the loading area along cantilever guide means 47 by push rod conveyor 48. As the path of the article group is arranged at a small angle to the plane of the case-supporting conveyor the leading lower corner of the article group moves over the trailing end of the case at the loading station and contacts the inside of the leading case wall with the result that the case is propelled by the load as the load advances and enters within the case, and the force of the advancing case overcomes the resistance offered by the temporary, yieldable stop means. As the case passes roll 39 and moves along the length of the conveyor which is approximately parallel with the article path the loading of the articles into the case is completed. The details of this case loading mechanism are fully disclosed in Patent No. 3,141,274.

To summarize the operation-a supply of ab-utted cases 7 with upwardly extended flaps is maintained on the belt 5 which may be continuously operated. Cases are advanced singly by the first set of nip rolls which advance the case ahead of the next succeeding case on belt 5. As

the case moves forward, its leadingend wall flap is folded forwardly by elements 19 on chain 17 and the free edge of the flap passes in below the hold-down bars 23. The trailing flap is folded rearwardly by the curved ends 22 of the bars 23 and held down by such bars. The first nip rolls are synchronized to feed a case in timed relation with the travel of the push rods 26 on chains 27 so that a case will arrive onto support 24 before the push rods move into propelling positions.

The push rods 26 propel the case along the length of the supporting plate 24 and continue in a case propelling path until the case moves into its loading position on the loading conveyor, whereupon the push rods move out of contact with the trailing case wall.

As the push rods move down around the sprockets 29, it is to be noted that the ends of such rods readily pass the edges of the belts 37 due to the fact that the effective width of the belts is less than the distance between the inner free ends of the push rods.

As soon as the case arrives at the loading station it is ready to receive its load and for that purpose the articlegroup propelling member is preferably timed with the operation of the travel of the ease push rods 26 so as to deliver a load to the case promptly after it comes into loading position.

In certain constructions it is practicable to limit the length of the loading conveyor belt means so that the receiving end of such belt means will be located approximately at roll 39 and adjacent the leading end of the case while in loading position. In the event this construction is employed, the inclined portion of the loading conveyor may be in the form of a plate over which the case can be slid by operation of the case push rods 26.

It is to be understood that, in some instances, a single push rod will sufiice to propel the empty case over the support 24. In this event the case may be guided along a path in which a lateral edge of the case will project beyond the edge of the loading conveyor on the side on which the push rod is employed.

While specific references have been made herein to the use of conveyor belts and to the use of sprockets and sprocket chains, it is to be understood that such references are for convenience of description and not intended to be limiting as it is apparent that a series of smalldiameter driven rolls may be used in place of a travelling conveyor belt and that in numerous instances other transmission mechanism, such as belts and belt pulleys, may be used as substitutes for sprocket chains and sprockets.

Due to the fact that a major portion of the case advancing and positioning mechanism is located below the path of the cases, and that the cases are engaged and propelled by means extending only a short distance above the surfaces on which the cases are supported, it is apparent that the mechanism of the present invention is particularly advantageous for use in equipment for handling and loading paperboard cases having hinged, top-closure fiaps which must be held outwardly extended to permit effective loading.

While the present description sets forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, numerous changes may be made in the mechanism as disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. A mechanism for positioning rectangular, upstanding, open-top cases at a loading station, comprising the combination of a transfer support means along which cases may be advanced to a loading point,

a loading conveyor arranged to receive cases from the transfer support means for advancement to the loading station, the width of the loading conveyor being less than the transverse dimension of the case to be loaded, whereby the case will project laterally beyond the edges of the loading conveyor at each side thereof,

case propelling means comprising a pair of oppositely related push rods extending laterally inward of the path of travel of the case a sufiicient distance to engage behind the trailing wall of the case and engaging such trailing Wall only along limited areas adjacent the rear, vertical corners of the case, the case 6 being entirely supported, first by the transfer support and later by the loading conveyor,

and means for supporting the pair of oppositely related push rods at points located outside the edges of the transfer support and loading conveyor for travel in unison and in similar paths along the respective sides of the transfer support and part way along the respective sides of the loading conveyor, and thence in a generally downward path to cause the push rods to slip simultaneously out of contact with the trailing wall of the case, the inward extent of the individual push rods being such that their ends terminate short of the respective edges of the loading conveyor to remain clear of such conveyor as the push rods move in their downward paths.

2. A mechanism for advancing and positioning at a treating or working station upstanding articles of generally rectangular form and of generally uniform size, such mechanism comprising a first support over which articles of the type referred to may be advanced toward a working or treating point,

a second support aligned with the first support and along which such articles may be advanced in spaced relation, such second support being of less width than the width of the articles, whereby the lateral edge portions of an article will extend beyond the edges of the second support,

sprocket chains positioned along the sides of said supports,

sprockets for supporting said chains, at least a portion of each of said sprockets being disposed laterally of said second support,

inwardly directed push rods arranged symmetrically on the sprocket chains to act in unison to engage the trailing face of an article and propel such article when the chains are advanced, the inward extent of the push rods being such that the free ends of such rods, as the rods move down around the respective sprockets, will move in paths clear of the lateral edges of the second support, whereby such downward movement of the push rods will cause them to slip past the trailing face of the article and stop its propulsion by said push rods, said inwardly directed push rods having engagement with the trailing wall of the article only along limited areas adjacent the rear, vertical corners of the article, and the article being entirely supported, initially by the first support and later by the second support.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,046,058 12/1912 Duell 19823 X 2,847,108 8/1958 Gross 198-34 X 2,884,115 4/1959 Farrer 198-34 2,890,560 6/1959 Nigrelli et a1 198-34 X 2,939,256 6/1960 Nigrelli et al 53-466 X 3,053,025 6/1962 Nigrelli et al l98-34 X EVON C. BLUNK, Primary Examiner.

R. I. HICKEY, Assistant Examiner. 

